Closure members



A. E. KARP 3,260,394

CLOSURE MEMBERS July 12, 1966 Filed April 22, 1965 5 l5 49 22 Z0 Z9 24 F102 2/ 18/4 224 /4 W w 17 i. /6 l6 l3 I FIG. 3

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United States Patent 3,260,394 CLOSURE MEMBERS Albert E. Karp, Flushing, N.Y., assignor to Chanal Plastics Corporation, Rego Park, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 449,938 14 Claims. (Cl. 215-37) This invention relates to closure members.

It is an object of this invention to provide a closure member of the character described which is of one-piece construction, which will be in a normally closed relation to the container with which it is associated and which will allow articles to be inserted into said container by merely thrusting the article through the closure member without opening the cover.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described having means which will yield to the inserting thrust, and will return to the normally closed condition upon completion of the inserting thrust.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described which will be formed of a material which may be flexed repeatedly without fatiguing or cracking or the like.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described which is readily adaptable for use with a wide range of conventional containers.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described in combination with a container, wherein the assembly will be of such low cost that it may be used as a receptacle for germ carrying waste materials and discarded when full of such waste materials, for use in hospitals, doctors offices and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described wherein the yielding means shall comprise a pair of trap doors formed in a curved surface of the closure member, and hinged to said surface by a score line, whereby the doors will be returned to the normally closed position after having been thrust open by the combined resilient action of the distortions of the curved surface adjacent the hinge and the hinge itself.

A further object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described which may be economically manufactured by simple molding, die cutting and stamping operations.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described wherein the trap doors require a significant positive force to be moved out of the normally closed condition, whereby articles within the container will not get out of the container if it should be upset or turned upside down.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a closure member of the character described which shall be easy to use and assemble and disassemble with a container, positive in operation, inexpensive, and practical and efficient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown an illustrative embodiment of this invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a container assembly embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial top plan view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 33' of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 showing the trap door open;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial view similar to FIG. 5 showing the trap door open; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the hinge connection taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, 10 designates a container assembly embodying the invention. Container 10 comprises a jar or similar article 11 having a neck 12 formed with external screw threads 13. The upper end of the neck 12 is provided with an annular inwardly directed shoulder 14.

Nested on top of neck 12 is a ring-like cap member 15 comprising an annular axially extending side Wall 16 formed with internal screw threads 17 adapted-to threadedly engage with threads 13 on neck 12. Extending inwardly from the upper end of side wall 16 is an annular flange 18 which has an inner circular end edge 19 spaced inwardly of the inner end of flange 14.

Jar 11 and cap 15 are conventional and are shown as made of plastic and metal respectively. Any other jar, cap .and means for interconnecting them in place of screw threads, and any other materials may be used.

A closure member generally designated 20 comprises an outer annular flange 21 interposed between and constrained against any movement by the flanges 14 and 18. Extending axially from the inner end of flange 21 is a circular wall 22. The outer end 22 of the wall 22 undulates axially, having two far points 23, 23 spaced furtherest from flange 21, and two near points 24, 24 spaced closest to flange 21. The points '23 and 24 are spaced apart, and the points of each pair 23, 23 and 24, 24 are on opposite ends of a diameter.

Member 20 comprises a bottom wall 25 extending from wall 22 all around and interconnecting points 23 and 24. The three dimensional shape of wall 25 is geometrically approximated by a circle inscribed on the side of a cylinder. Wall 25 is slit as at 26 by a diametric line in alignment with near .points 24. The ends 27, 27 of slit 26 are equally spaced from their respective adjacent points 24 of wall 22. Extending from each end 27 of slit 26 are a pair of slits 28, 28, each of which pairs defines an obtuse angle facing the obtuse angle formed by the pair at the other end of slit 26. Joining the outer ends of each two slits 28 on each side of slit 26 is a score line 29, formed in wall 25 on the side thereof opposite flange 21. Scores 29, 29 may be formed by applying a heated member to wall 25, or by any other suitable means. Slits 26 and 28 may be formed by die cutting or by any other suitable means. Slits 26 and 28, and score 29, define a pair of trapezoidal, wing-like, trap door members 30, 30 in wall 25. Closure member 20 is preferably made of a plastic such as polypropylene which has the property of allowing repeated flexing of even thin cross-sections without rupture. As can be seen from FIGS. 3 to 6, score 29 acts as a hinge about which the doors 30 swing to allow access into jar 11 without removing the cap 15.

In use, an object is thrust through the swinging doors 30, whereupon the closure 20 assures the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. Comparing with the normally closed position of FIGS. 3 and 5, it will be seen that the hinge or score 29 is normally curved. When the door 30 is swung, score 29 becomes straight, all intermediate portions thereof rising to the level of the ends thereof as shown in FIG. 6. This upward movement of the intermediate portions of the hinge 29, causes a concomitant upward movement of the portions of the wall 25 adjacent hinge 29 causing a distortion of said portions of wall 25 away from their normally curved shape, as can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4. Also, the swinging of the doors 30 stretches or flexes the portions 29a of the wall 25 which is the thinner section of wall 25 adjacent score 29. The combined action of the resiliency of the material in portion 29a and the distorted portions of wall 25 serves to forcibly urge the doors back to their normally closed condition after whatever is holding the doors open, an article or the hand of a user or the like, is removed. However, either portion 29a alone, or curved bottom wall 25 alone, would be suflicient to close the doors 30 if desired.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an apparatus and article in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth and shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A one-piece closure member comprising an annular outwardly extending flange, an annular wall extending downwardly from the inner periphery of said flange, a bottom wall at the lower end of said annular wall, said bottom wall being curved transversely about a line in the plane of said flange and passing through the axis of said flange, said bottom wall being formed with a pair of trap doors hingeable about parallel hinges and swingable downwardly away from each other, said hinges lying in parallel planes perpendicular to said line.

2. The combination of claim 1, said closure member being made of a resilient material resistant to flexing fatigue fracture.

3. A container assembly comprising a jar having a neck, cap attaching means on said neck, a flange extending inwardly from the top of said neck, a closure member having an outer flange overlying said neck flange, a cap member, cap attaching means on said cap member engageable with the cap attaching means on said neck, a top flange on said cap member overlying said closure member flange, said cap member being formed with a central opening, said closure member being of one piece construction and comprising an annular downwardly extending wall extending from the inner side of said closure member flange, a bottom wall at the lower end of said annular wall, door means integrally formed with said bottom wall, and swingable downwardly from said bottom wall into said jar, and said closure member being made of a material to provide a hinge for said door means, and said hinge being curved whereby to resiliently bias said door means so that said door means when pressed down and released will snap back to normal position.

4. The combination of claim 3, said closure member being molded of a resilient plastic resistant to flexing fatigue fracture.

5. The combination of claim 4, said biasing means comprising scores formed in said bottom wall on the side A. opposite said flanges, said scores swingably hinging said door means to the remainder of said bottom wall.

6. The combination of claim 4, said bottom wall being curved concave outwardly, said means to bias said door means comprising curved portions of said bottom wall outwardly adjacent said door means adapted to be moved out of their normal curved configuration by opening motion of said door means.

7. A closure member made of a single piece of resilient sheet material comprising a downwardly transversely curved, longitudinally straight bottom wall, said wall comprising a pair of similar symmetrically disposed downwardly swinging doors forming part of said wall, said doors having transverse meeting edges, and end edges meeting complementary edges of said wall, and said doors being hinged along transverse integral hinges parallel to said meeting edges of said doors.

8. The combination of claim 7, said bottom wall being scored at the underside thereof to form said hinges.

9. The combination of claim 7, a jar having an open end, a cap, means on said cap and closure member for clamping said closure member to said open end of said jar, and said cap being formed with an opening exposing said doors.

10. A one-piece closure member comprising an outwardly extending flange, a wall extending downwardly from the inner periphery of said flange, .a bottom at the lower end of said wall, and said bottom being formed with a trap door swingably connected to said bottom by a score line formed in said bottom, said bottom being curved about an axis parallel to the plane of said flange and being concave toward said flange, and said score lying in a plane perpendicular to said axis,

11. A closure member made of a single piece of resilient material comprising a curved wall, a door formed from said wall and hinged to said wall about a curved integral hinge end swingable away from said wall.

12. The combination of claim 11, a jar having an open end, a cap, means on said cap and closure member for clamping said closure member to said open end of said jar, and said cap being formed with an opening exposing said door.

13. The combination of claim 11, said wall being scored at the underside thereof to form said hinge.

14. The combination of claim 11, said resilient material comprising polypropylene.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,902,294 3/ 1933 Ruborita 2297 X 2,470,984 5/1949 Horning et al. 2297 X 2,778,521 1/1957 Cagle 215--63 X 3,084,823 4/1963 Reichstein 215-74 3,163,314 12/1964 Mauser 220-24 3,189,071 6/1965 Balkema et a1 2l541 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,743 1/1929 Australia.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner. 

1. A ONE-PIECE CLOSURE MEMBER COMPRISING AN ANNULAR OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE, AN ANNULAR WALL EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE INNER PERIPHERY OF SAID FLANGE, A BOTTOM WALL AT THE LOWER END OF SAID ANNULAR WALL, SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING CURVED TRANSVERSELY ABOUT A LINE IN THE PLANE OF SAID FLANGE AND PASSING THROUGH THE AXIS OF SAID FLANGE, SAID BOTTOM WALL BEING FORMED WITH A PAIR OF TRAP 